Pearson airport set to launch new restaurants

Toronto’s airport will soon host many new eateries led by some of the city’s best chefs.

Heirloom Bakery, which will open in Terminal 1, is developed in partnership with baker Devon Connell and will serve light entrees of soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods.

By:Paul IrishEntertainment Reporter, Published on Thu Apr 12 2012

Cancel that overseas flight you booked in search of great food. Just stay in the airport — it’ll soon be a gastronomic destination in its own right.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has announced plans, in development with airport food and beverage operator OTG, to bring in the best of Toronto’s culinary talent to staff a variety of top restaurants at Pearson International Airport — 13 in all — including the likes of Mark McEwan (North 44) and Guy Rubino (Ame), along with a host of other well-known local chefs.

As well, there will be a brewer and a master sommelier, Toronto-based Jason Szabo, to add to the dining experience.

“Toronto Pearson serves as the first and last impression of this region for nearly 34 million air travellers annually, and we’re making our dining options part of the positive Toronto experience,” says Pamela Griffith-Jones, chief marketing and commercial officer for the GTAA.

“Our guests have told us they want more variety of dining options, both in terms of pricing and ethnicity … the introduction of true culinary diversity will help differentiate Toronto Pearson from other North American spots.”

Travellers will soon be able to dine at such restaurants as Acer featuring “the best” in Japanese food overseen by chef Guy Rubino; Corso, a trattoria featuring traditional Italian cuisine developed by chef Rocco Agostino, Marathi, offering a menu of Indian “street food” created by chef Hemant Bhagwani and Trillium, a global tapas restaurant and bar with its menu developed by chef Claudio Aprile.

There will also be a number of Cibo Express Gourmet Markets featuring a wide assortment of freshly prepared products and beverages and two Heirloom Bakery Cafes that will offer soups, salads, sandwiches as well as a large assortment of baked goods.

The complex will also includes two cocktail bars — both called Apropos — overseen by brewer Brock Shepherd, master sommelier Szabo and chef Michael Coury as well as wine bar Vinifera (located in both terminals 1 and 3).

It almost sounds like a better to place to eat than downtown … but don’t get too much of an appetite.

The establishments are behind the “secure area” and the only people that can be served are flying passengers.

Scott Armstrong, of GTAA communications, says about 10,000 individuals were interviewed before a decision was made and the consensus was people wanted “quality” food.

He says passengers are showing up earlier than ever for flights and that many will be using their down time - in the secure area – to have a good dinner.

“This is viable,” he says. “It will work.”

The timetable will have some operations opening later this year with others starting in 2013.

Rubino, who is connected to the airport’s Acer restaurant, says the concept is long overdue.

“When I travel I see what’s offered at other airports and I knew we were behind.” he says. “We have a great team and we’re sending out a clear message this is going to be good.”

McEwan, who, besides the North 44 restaurant, also runs Fabbrica and the McEwan gourmet food store at the Shops of Don Mills, says the operative word in the new concept is “quality.”

“I’m definitely excited about it,” he says. “What we have here is a group of credible operators who will finally be able to offer travellers an excellent meal at the airport.”

He says he will have two restaurants — one offering paninis, the other high end, gourmet burgers — with first class, fresh ingredients.

Although McEwan says locales and names are tentative, official plans say the Nobel Burger Bar — serving Terminal 3 — features gourmet burgers with guests designing their own dinner.

McEwan says Toronto has finally taken a “first step” to being on par with airports at cities that already have fine dining.

There’s curently a world-wide initiative that includes OTG – as well as other food and beverage operators – to dial up dining at all airports in Europe, Asia and North America.

The two main New York City airports - John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia – have bistros featuring high end chefs with the latter having a beer garden.

Other cities that have, or are planning to upgrade their airport dining, include Boston, Philadelpha and Chicago among many.

Also, more than 2,500 iPads will be brought in to the gate areas to be used by guests to order food, surf the web and monitor flight information.

Architect and Toronto native Lionel Ohayon, of ICRAVE, is also part of the project.

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